5 Ways to Recycle Your Makeup

Finding your new favorite beauty product is a process of trial and error. In the quest to securing that perfect shade of foundation or the right shade of red lipstick, you're bound to switch out some items in your makeup bag. Whether you use every drop of your favorite lip stain or you find a new shampoo that better suits your needs, your cosmetics collection likely includes some forgotten empty bottles or unused products. Before you toss these products aside or leave them hanging out on your makeup shelf, you may want to consider these alternatives. From a recycling program for your favorite hair gel to free products for frequent shoppers, here are five alternatives to throwing out your leftover beauty products.

Back to MAC

Those who can't get enough of MAC Cosmetics should take advantage of their Back to MAC program. All you have to do is collect six primary packaging containers (think tubes, bottles, eyeshadow pot, etc.) that your makeup came in. The products can be used, empty, or full, but they have to fall within the company's required guidelines for return.

MAC then keeps track of each of your returns and once you return six products, you'll get a free MAC lipstick.

Lush 5 Pot Program

Image courtesy of Lush

Lush has a rewards program centered around the return of its signature black product pots. The 5 Pot Program rewards customers with a free face mask after they bring back five empty, clean Lush pots. Returned pots are then recycled and reused by Lush. As Jennifer Graybeal of Lush explained of the process, "After collected, the returned pots are sent back to our Vancouver and Toronto suppliers, where they regrind and remold the pots."

Jennifer also had suggestions for what you can do with any of your other leftover Lush products. "Our black pots make for great seed starter containers, flower pots, pen holders, craft project material, organizers for bits and bobs like hair ties, bobby pins, and they stack well on top of each other," she said. "Any of our bath bombs, fresh face masks, lip balm, massage bars, solid scrubs and solid perfumes can be composted. And of course, re-gifting or donating unused products to local shelters and organizations is always a good idea."

Garnier and TerraCycle®

Image courtesy of TerraCycle®

Got a shelf in your shower filled with shampoo? Garnier and TerraCycle® partnered for a recycling program that will take your personal care and beauty products. You have to sign up online in order to participate, but the program is free to use.

Once you sign up, deposit your old hair care, skin care, and cosmetic items into any box you have. After the box is filled and mailed back, your leftover makeup and beauty products will be recycled and remade into other products. According to Garnier, recycled beauty products are used to make elements for community parks, playgrounds and gardens in Nebraska, Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio and New York.

Gina Herrera, TerraCycle's U.S. director of client services explained their intentions with the program, noting that their partnership with Garnier allows for an easy way that consumers can recycle.

Garnier told Teen Vogue that consumers can also consider recycling their products at home. "Look for the recycling symbols, #1 and #2. If you see that the plastic container of a beauty or personal care product has #1 or #2 printed inside the recycling symbol, then it is safe to assume that it can go in your curbside recycling," Donna Valle of Alison Brod Marketing + Communications told Teen Vogue. "However, every city has different guidelines for what can and can’t be recycled, so it’s important to check your town’s curbside recycling criteria."

Before deciding on a charity to donate your products to, you should reach out and ask for their donation guidelines. Make sure to find out what condition they want beauty products in, what items are needed, and how donations are accepted.

Kiehl's Recycling Program

Fans of Kiehl's may want to take advantage of their recycling program. For their program, you're rewarded with a free travel-sized product after you return 10 full-size empty Kiehl's bottles. The brand has reportedly collected more than 3 million empty bottles since beginning the program.

Along with Kiehl's, Lush and MAC, additional retailers including bareMinerals, Aveda, and Origins have recycling programs.